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Chico wins first game as Nationals post first win streak

Apr 17, 2007 - 4:29 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Matt Chico got his first win against a team he grew up watching on television.

Chico got his first victory in his third major-league start, and the Nationals started their first winning streak of the season with a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

A 23-year-old lefthander, Chico (1-1) allowed just one run and five hits in five innings, but also walked five. He left with a 3-1 lead after walking Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann with no outs in the sixth inning.

"I just wanted to get through the fifth and give the team a chance to win," Chico said. "It was one of those nights that was kind of rough with five walks, but I'll take it."

Chico, who graded his performance as a B, said his boyhood dreams revolved around someday pitching against and beating the Braves.

"I grew up watching the Braves on TV because they're nationwide," Chico said. "I always wanted to throw against them. And seeing Chipper (Jones), I always wanted to get my first win off them. It was one of those where I thought I would do a little better and maybe go seven (innings), but I'll take it."

The Nationals, who have won two in a row and three of their last four games, got four scoreless innings from their bullpen, which could be the team's saving grace this season.

"Giving the ball into the hands of (Jon) Rauch and (Chad) Cordero, that was my goal in the beginning," Chico said. "After that, I had a pretty good feeling it was over."

Dmitri Young, who wore number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson one day late because the Nationals' game was rained out Sunday in New York, provided all the runs Chico needed with a two-out, two-run double off the left-center field wall in the third.

Young finished with three hits, including a pair of doubles.

"That was an out-of-body experience," Young said. "Jackie Robinson was in my soul tonight. He was the one that played. He was the one that hit the doubles. Had it been Willie Stargell night, it would've been a couple of homers."

Scott Thorman had an RBI single in the sixth and Chris Woodward added two hits for the Braves, who took two of three games from the Nationals in Atlanta last week.

Ryan Zimmerman, who finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2006, snapped out of a 3-for-34 slump with a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the third for Washington.

"It was good, especially after that first at-bat when I missed a couple of pitches to hit," Zimmerman said. "It's always good to get one or two when you've been struggling a little bit."

Chuck James (2-1), who shut out the Nationals for six innings last Wednesday, did not fare as well this time around. He allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.

"James shoved it up our tails the last game, so it was good for us to get ahead on him," Young said. "And Matt Chico threw the heck out of the ball tonight to get his first major league victory."

The game-time temperature was 47 degrees with wind gusts ranging from 18 to 26 miles per hour.

"I felt good, I wasn't cold or anything," James said. "It was just that big inning. It happens sometimes. That's just the way it goes."

"We've seen him a couple of times, and we were just determined not to get beat by him again," Young said of James. "He has great stuff. Hat's off to him but we didn't want to go down to him again."